French doors
Composite French doors
Short answer
Composite French doors are a pair of garden doors made with solid-core leaves and a tough outer skin, rather than uPVC throughout. They feel heavier and more solid, come in woodgrain finishes and colours, and suit homes where the doors are a feature. We supply and fit them, priced after a free survey.
What makes a French door composite
A uPVC French door is built from hollow, reinforced uPVC sections. A composite French door has leaves with a solid core, usually a dense foam or timber-based core, faced with a hard-wearing skin. The result is a thicker, stiffer leaf that closes with a heavier, more substantial feel, much like a composite front door.
Each leaf still holds a large glazed panel, because the point of French doors is light and the view to the garden. The composite part is the frame of each leaf around that glass.
Glazing options
Most people choose full-height clear glass so the doors bring as much daylight as possible into the room. Some prefer a solid lower panel with glass above, which gives a more traditional look and a little more privacy at floor level. Georgian bars or glazing patterns are available for period homes.
All door glass is toughened or laminated safety glass. Laminated glass adds security, because it holds together if it is struck, and it can also help with noise.
Colours and finishes
Composite doors come in a wide range of colours, with woodgrain textured skins that look closer to painted timber than smooth uPVC. Many colours can be different inside and out, so the doors match your front door or windows outside and your room inside. Our colours pages show the main shades.
Security
A composite French door pair locks the same way as any good French door: a multipoint lock on the master leaf engages into the slave leaf, which is held by shoot bolts at the top and bottom. The stiffer composite leaves resist flexing when the doors are forced, which is part of why people choose them for a garden entrance that is out of sight of the street. Check for an anti-snap cylinder and protected hinges.
Composite or uPVC French doors
Both make a good pair of garden doors. The right one depends on what matters most to you.
| Feel | Composite is heavier and more solid; uPVC is lighter |
|---|---|
| Look | Composite has a woodgrain, timber-like skin; uPVC is smoother |
| Leaf strength | Composite leaves are thicker and stiffer |
| Budget | uPVC French doors are the more economical choice |
| Price | uPVC from £1,499 fully fitted; composite priced after survey |
Opening, thresholds and sizes
French doors usually open outwards so they do not take up room inside, though inward opening is possible where there is a step or deck outside. Either leaf can be the master, so you choose which side you walk through day to day. Door restrictors or stays can hold the leaves open on a breezy day.
A low threshold makes it easier to step out onto a patio and suits anyone with limited mobility. Because each composite leaf is thick and rigid, a wide pair can be built without the leaves feeling flimsy, and we measure the full opening at survey to work out the best leaf sizes.
How pricing works
Composite French doors are made to measure, so the price depends on the width and height of the opening, the glazing, the colour and the hardware. We measure at a free survey and give you a fixed written quote before you decide, so you can compare composite with uPVC on your own opening. Our French door cost guide explains what moves the price.
Common questions
Related pages
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